


May I Have This Dance?

by darkemrys



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Dayak is Altean, Don't copy to another site, Engagement, Exes, F/M, Lance is a prince, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining, Post-Break Up, Secret Relationship, Waltzing, side klance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 17:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20911205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkemrys/pseuds/darkemrys
Summary: It is believed that a future bride should be happy during her engagement and look forward to her wedding day.Too bad Princess Allura missed that memo.





	May I Have This Dance?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! Welcome to my first round of Flufftober! 
> 
> This fic is for the Prompt #1: Dancing.
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> Voltron belongs to its respective creators.

As a princess, Allura understood that she had many responsibilities to fulfill on behalf of her nation and her people. And if she ever forgot that, the heavy, shining diamond ring on her left ring finger gave her quite the reminder.

If she had her way, she would take the shining gem on her hand and throw it into the deepest part of Altea’s waters. But, she never got her way. When it came to her ambitions….her future…..her wants and desires…..she didn’t even get a say in the matter.

Everything she did was for Altea, even if it meant marrying someone she didn’t love so her kingdom would gain an ally…even it meant learning how to waltz....

“Again!”, her dance instructor commanded as the room was filled with music for the millionth time.

Hesitantly, Allura put her hand on her brother’s shoulder and slowly slid her hand into his. When she felt the young boy place his hand on her back, her whole body flinched upon contact. Lance’s eyes widened a fraction from the Altean princess’s reaction. Taking notice of how her gesture affected Lance, she tried to play it off with a smile, but it felt forced and strained on her lips.

Once again, for the umpteenth time that the young monarch lost track of, Allura and Lance swayed into a waltz. Allura kept her eyes focused on her feet the entire time while she mumbled directions to herself, “Forward…Right...Backwards….Left….”

SMACK!

Pain shot up and down her back when the hard surface of a cane collided against her spine. The sharp, intense pain made tears sting her blue eyes as her ears were subjected to the loud screams of her mentor, “Keep your eyes on your partner at all times! Again!”

Lance sported a sheepish smile that was meant to support Allura, despite the affliction that was occurring in her back, but Allura could only wear a half-hearted smile in response. The music resumed playing as Allura and Lance continued their dance, except this time, Allura kept her eyes solely focused on her dance partner.

The two glided around the room without a problem, which made Allura’s confidence skyrocket. Maybe, she would be able to do this after all. If she could actually dance perfectly, maybe….just maybe…she could pull this off when it really counted.

Allura was too lost in her own thoughts to even pay attention to where the place her feet in the sequence of spinning steps, but Lance’s yelp of pain brought her back to reality.

“Ow!”, he hissed, separating herself from her grip. Lance took a seat on the floor to tend to his pained limb. Allura dropped to his side, apologizing profusely,

“I am so sorry, Lance!”

He waved a dismissive hand at her with a smile. “It’s fine, Allura. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m good. I promise.”

Before Allura even had a chance to reply, her shoulders were introduced to the pain of being hit with a cane.

“OW! God, we’re not dancing anymore! Why are you still hitting me, Dayak?!”, Allura screamed, glaring at the elderly woman standing before them.

Her beady, black eyes narrowed venomously at the teenage princess and raised her cane in the air. Allura rushed to the side, trying to evade getting a hit once again. Instead of getting struck, the elder lady pointed her cane at the pained boy next to her.

“Because of your foolishness, you ended up hurting the young Prince!”

“I’m fine, Dayak!”  
“Also, you tainted the pure, sacred ceremony of the waltz!”

“The waltz being a “pure and sacred ceremony” is quite a stretch.”, Allura said with a snort.

BAM!

Dayak slamming her grey walking stick into the smooth, hard white tile floor below made both Allura and Lance wince from the last noise. Then, she gave Allura a cold, withering stare, which made the teen feel small and insignificant.

“You may feel like the waltz is a joke, but I assure you, the Galran Kingdom does not. To them, this wedding dance is a sacred tradition that is honored and respected. Making a mockery of one of the traditions of their culture will not only guarantee that the kingdom’s alliance will far apart, but it might also make tensions worse between the two kingdoms. Is that what you want, Princess?”

Allura turned her head away from like a child, grumbling, “No….”

“Then, stand up and take this seriously. Otherwise, you might be the reason the kingdom of Altea that your parents have worked tirelessly to maintain plunge into war.”

In one second, Allura was on her feet. When another second had passed, she was five inches away from Dayak. A storm of fury was swirling in her eyes, but Dayak didn’t even seem phased by how angry Allura looked.

Before Allura could even get a word in, Lance squeezed in between the duo and exclaimed frantically, “How about we take a break?!”

Dayak tore her gaze away from Allura and sighed heavily. “Prince Lance, with all due respect, time is not on our side. We simply cannot afford the luxury of-“

Lance held five fingers up. “Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking for. I could use the time to rest my foot. It’s still….very, very sore.”

He stepped on his pained foot and winced dramatically to make a show of how hurt he really was. Even though Allura knew he was faking it for the sake of dramatic effect, but a part of her was still wracked with guilt. That pained expression Lance had on his face earlier….that wasn’t a fabrication. He was hurt and it was all her fault.

Dayak closed her eyes for a moment in contemplation, but once they opened, she said, “Very well. I will allow both of you to have five minutes to rest. But when those five minutes are over, it’s back to rigorous practice. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Lady Dayak.”

As soon as the old woman left, Lance’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“I can’t believe that actually worked.”, he said with a bright smile on his face before lying on the floor and stretching his limbs out. Then, with his eyes closed, he locked his fingers together and placed his hands under his head in a posture of relaxation.

Allura chuckled before lying down beside him, equally relieved for the reprieve from dancing. “I’m not. She’s always had a soft spot for you. You’re not the one who might plunge the kingdom into war after all.” She didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but her amount of self-control had been wavering ever since the dance practice started hours ago.

Lance sat up suddenly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Allura….you know that she didn’t mean that.”

Allura chuckled darkly, “Didn’t she?”

Lance shook his head. “Listen, we both know that Dayak is…intense…but she just wants what’s best for the kingdom, just like we do.”

“What’s best for the kingdom, huh? What about what’s best for us?”

“Allura…”

The silver-haired monarch ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “I know, I know. It’s just….sometimes, don’t you wish we weren’t royals? Don’t you wish we were just normal people living normal lives, free to do whatever we want….marry whoever we want?”

“….More than anything.”

Allura flopped backwards, landing on her lap, saying, “If I had my way, you wouldn’t have to sneak behind closed doors to be with a certain Red Paladin.”

Lance’s cheeks turned cherry red. “I’m not even going to ask how you know that.”

Allura pushed her hair behind her shoulder in an overdramatic fashion. “I’m the future Queen, darling, I have eyes all around this castle.”

Lance shivered, commenting, “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Allura giggled and bumped her shoulders against his playfully, “It would be wise of you not to.”

Lance erupted into a fit of laughter while Allura asked, “So Lance, if you had your way, what would you do?”

Lance clicked his tongue repeatedly, which made Allura’s eyes roll. Suddenly, he stopped with a serious look in his eyes and an uneasy feeling began to bloom in Allura’s stomach.

“If I had my way….”, Lance started, which made Allura gulp in nervousness. Then, her heart dropped into her stomach when he finished, “…..I'd marry Lotor, so you could be free to marry Shiro.”

Any joyful banter that Allura would have responded with disappeared when she heard the name of the knight she had known since childhood. “Lance.”

“The Galran kingdom doesn’t care which one of us marries Lotor.”

“Lance, don’t..”, she pleaded, completely unwilling to go down this road with Lance again.

Despite Allura’s pleas, Lance remained determined and relentlessly kept talking. “I could talk to Mother and Father again and convince them to see reason. You wouldn’t have to give up your freedom! You could be with Shiro again…”

“ENOUGH!”, she yelled at the top of her lungs.

The sheer volume of Allura’s voice took Lance aback, but honestly, she really didn’t care.

“Allura, I-“, Lance began to say, but Allura was quick to interrupt him.

“No, Lance…no…you…you don’t get to talk right now.”

“Allura-“

“I know I act like a rebellious child sometimes, but…that doesn’t mean I’m not going through with this wedding. No matter what I feel….I’m still going to walk down that aisle with Lotor.”

“Allura….”

“And I know you would gladly trade places with me to ensure my happiness, but I won’t let you. I’d never let you.”

“You’re marrying a person you don’t know, Allura.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I have a lifetime to get to know him, Lance…” With a bitter laugh, the young queen-to-be added, “Who knows? Maybe, I’ll even learn to love him.”

“What about Shiro? Don’t you love him?”, Lance interrogated fiercely.

Allura’s heart lurched in pain when she heard his name yet again. Memories of their once happy relationship flashed in her mind unwarranted which only made the ache in her heart intensify.

She answered, “Yes, I still love Shiro. I will always love Shiro……but my world is more than just Shiro…my world is you, my family, my kingdom, and my people. I have to safeguard them all, even if it means throwing any chance of happiness for me away. Do you understand?”

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but no words left his lips. Instead, he just stood there, frozen, with mouth slightly hung open. At first, Allura was puzzled. What on earth was wrong with Lance? He was just fine a minute ago. It didn’t even register to her that Lance’s line of sight wasn’t on her, but over her shoulder.  
before Allura could even, the grating shrill screams of Dayak’s screams filled her ears.

“Princess Allura! Prince Lance! On your feet! I gave you plenty enough time to rest! Now, let’s get back to work!”

———————

After more grueling hours of dance practice, Allura’s body was sorer from constantly getting hit by the cane than actually dancing. When she entered her room, the first thing she did was plop herself face-first into the soft, comfy white mattress of her bed. Turning her head to the side, her eyes caught a glimpse of her engagement ring.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she slid the ring off her finger, placed it on her thumb, and flipped it away from her. After flying and flipping through the air, she expected the jeweled accessory to land on her desk with a loud thud like it normally did.

Instead, a whole new sound filled the air.

CRUNCH!

The new phenomenon made Allura sit up and wonder, “What caused that?”

Making her way towards her mahogany countertop, she noticed a small, folded up, piece of paper. Allura removed the ring, took the paper in her fingers and unfolded it.

The message within only contained five words, but those five words said just enough to make tears fall from Allura’s eyes.

I’ll always love you too.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be fluffy, but my hand slipped. Whoops. 
> 
> One prompt down, Thirty more to go!


End file.
